Save a Custom Shake

Tired of tweaking a shake's heavy or zoom every time? Build your own on an adjustment layer, save it to MotionLab's user-shake library, then apply with a click for the rest of forever.

Step 1 — build the shake

  1. Add an adjustment layer over the clip you want to shake — use the Adjustment Layer button in the Main tab for a layer that spans the clip's visible range.
  2. Apply your effects manually: Motion Tile (with mirror edges, output at 120%), animated Tile Center keyframes, Directional Blur, Turbulent Displace, Optics Compensation, etc. — or build any combination you like.
  3. Trim the adjustment to the duration you want the shake to last (typically 10–20 frames).
  4. Preview to make sure the shake feels right.

Step 2 — save it

  1. Make sure the adjustment layer is selected in the timeline.
  2. In the Shakes tab, click the + button next to the User Shakes section.
  3. Name your shake when prompted. The shake is captured — every effect, every keyframe, and the duration in frames.

Step 3 — reuse

From any project, on any layer, click your saved shake in the User Shakes section. MotionLab recreates a fresh adjustment layer above the selected source, replays your effects and keyframes, and trims to the original duration. Reversed layers work — the shake still lands at the visible start of the clip.

Manage saved shakes

Hover any user shake and a delete button appears. Saved data lives in {USER_DATA}/MotionLab/saved-shakes.json — copy the file between machines to bring your library along.

What gets saved
MotionLab captures the adjustment layer's effects, their parameter values, keyframes (with timing relative to the layer's start), and total duration. It does not capture the source clip below — your saved shake is reusable on any clip.

Same pattern for flashes

The Flashes tab has the same workflow — build a flash on a solid layer, save it, reuse. See Flashes for the full reference.